How can I speed up my PC?

Question

It is only a couple of years old. It was fast and it is a good spec but it takes SO long to log on, or do anything. I have emptied the cache, defragmented, done disk clean up, removed any programmes I think I can do without. Is there a simple "sort the bugger out" procedure to get it back to the way it used to be?

Answer 1

From the content of your question I am assuming that you have a good basic knowledge of Windows, but maybe not of the PC itself. However, as you have done the basics the following steps should help you make an informed choice of what to do next.

1) Memory - 'Good Spec PC' it may have been, but anything less then 512MB (or more if it is shared graphics) will give you headaches under Windows XP; any new programmes that load on 'start-up' will hogg what little memory is left after Windows starts up. This is especially true in your case as you state that it takes 'SO long' (sic) to log on. Others have suggested it as it is THE quickest and cheapest way of giving a PC a boost in the first instance. It is also one of the least scary things to fit, but may put more of a dent in your fingers than your wallet. Try Crucial.com to find out what your computer needs.

2) Re-format. This is the sledgehammer approach, although it will sort your problem out. That is, of course, untill you fill your PC up with 'stuff' again! This was a chosen course of action not too many years ago as memory was expensive, and I used to have to do it every couple of years. It also has the advantages of getting rid of all that 'shareware' (and anything else you have forgotten about) and teaching you a lesson in your own time of what discs you need to rebuild (virtually) your PC and how to back up data. Invaluable if your machine ever takes a serious nosedive, but a real pain if it is your only or main machine. However, I've not had to do it for the last 4 years on my (far from) current PC as I stuck 1GB of memory in - See (1).

3) Cheat. Use Windows 'Hibernate' to overcome the start-up lagg. You will have to initialise it under the power management options (get to it by {Right-Click}ing on the desktop) and choose it instead of 'Shut-Down'. This won't solve your general running problems, but is a good interim. It may also cause some Anti-Virus software to complain, but play it by ear.

4) Spend. Get a new one, especially if it is over 4 years old. £400 will get you a new 'good spec' machine (remember - at least 512MB of non shared memory!) and you can use the the 'files and setting transfer wizard' on the new machine to copy everything from your old machine. You can then 'reformat' the old machine (see (2)) and use it for other things.

5) Become a PC 'Geek'. Buy a book, read the posts, spend £400 on a new graphics card, £800 on a new chip, go for water-cooling, etc, etc. Makes a great hobby if you are into it, but can be an expensive and consuming pastime!

My choice: Try (1) and come back if you still have problems!

Answer 2

Ok, do a restore point and also create a backup before you start, then:-

Assuming you are on XP, and you have already got oodles of diskspace free & windows is managing it's own swapfile (default setting) then you could try the following approach which to be honest worked fab in windows98 but haven't really treid in Xp!!

1) run msconfig.exe taking any unnecessary things out of startup (after a reboot it warns you about it and you need to click 'don't mention this again')
2) defrag HDD (done already)
3) keep icons on desktop down to a minimum (at startup windows redraws the desktop icons about twice when starting up (i think))
4) these directories must not have too many more files than is necessary on them 'c:\', 'c:\windows', 'c:\Windows system' & 'C:\windows system32' as they are likely candidates for directories that windows needs to find files in for running you programs. Therefore more time searcing them if they are full of cr@p ... but If you're not sure though KEEP it in there!!
5) Get a registry cleaner to remove entries no longer necessary - make sure you have a decent backup first.
6) See if there's a XP friendly unwanted DLL removal tool? (This worked great with 98 ... but I have put it near the bottom of the list for a reason)
7) Upgrade your memory (NOT HDD)

Answer 3

Try each of these in turn to boost your computer speed until you are happy with it.

1. Make sure you have a separate graphics card and not using mother board graphics - mother board graphics take all your PC's power away. Use anti-static precautions!

2. Then add more memory - more memory will give your computer more "room to move" in. Use anti-static precautions!

3. Then ghost the existing data to a new faster hard drive. Look for drives with a higher disk cache than the one you've got - 8Mb cache is not too bad. Use anti-static precautions!

4. After that it will be a new processor, afraid. Use anti-static precautions!

Answer 4

Download CCleaner
CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)

http://www.ccleaner.com

Answer 5

May be worth upgrading the memory
Take out any unwated programmes by using msconfig

The following links maybe of help.

Answer 6

try doing a disc clean up and do a defrag both these can found in system tools that should speed it up

Answer 7

It not a quick procedure but its fairly simple, to back up everything and then to re-format your entire computer. When i did that my computer worked like new (like clockwork!) once I had reinstalled all my stuff onto it again.

Answer 8

Wipe the disc and start over-You will need the disc that came with the computer and codes,Then you will have to load everything again.I've done it twice.

Answer 9

you will need a better say ??? pentium chip and a lot more ram, a good graphics card, a compatible sound card. oh !!! just get an up grade probably cheaper too.